Summer Jazz Festival: Almunecar, southern Spain

July 17, 3:53 PMFamilies Living Abroad ExaminerLucy Culpepper

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Almuñecar's Jazz on the Coast: www.jazzgranada.net/

Almuñécar on the Costa Tropical Coast of Andalusia, Spain is the annual setting for the Jazz on the Coast Festival (July 18 thru 24) . This year the festival celebrates its 21st birthday with musicians from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean, from New York to Brazil and New Orleans to Cadiz. This year the line up includes:

• Jimmy Cobb´s So What Band
• Con Wallace Roney, Javon Jackson, Vincent Herring,
• Larry Willis & Buster Williams
• Lionel Loueke Trio
• Vince Benedetti & Hardbop World
• Esperanza Spalding
• John Scofield Piety Street Band
• Stefano Di Battista Quartet
• Ron Carter Quintet Jazz & Bossa
• Roy Haynes Trio

The Costa Tropical is the little known, quieter and more Spanish of the Mediterranean Costas in the province of Andalusia. It lies to the east of the more famous, or infamous, Costa del Sol and to the west of the desert-like Costa Almeria - known by many for its Spaghetti Westerns. The Costa Tropical’s position between the brilliant blue Mediterranean and the soaring Sierra Nevada Mountains, rising to 10,000 feet just 62 miles inland, creates a sub-tropical climate where bananas, papayas and mangoes flourish. The area attracts many visitors for its climate, beaches and impressive scuba diving, but it also makes a great base to explore inland Andalusia (Spanish: Andalucía) including the beautifully preserved white villages of the Alpujarras, Granada’s mesmerizing Alhambra Palace, and the Sierra Nevada National Park…there’s even easy access to Morocco.

The festival takes place below the castle of San Miguel in the grounds of 'El Majuelo', the botanical and archeological park. The castle was first established by the Romans in the 1st century B.C., but was not fully developed until the Moors invaded (about the year 722). After almost 800 years of Arabic rule, at the end of 1489, the Christians conquered Almuñécar remodeling and renaming the castle.

Click here for the festival's official site (in Spanish only)

Buying Tickets:

Each concert costs 11 euros and can be bought from Ticket Master (this link takes you directly to the right place on the Ticket Master site). The multi-concert ticket has sold out.
The festival starts at 10.30 pm each night. That may seem very late but it's just too hot to enjoy earlier on, so take a late afternoon siesta and come prepared!

How to get to Almunecar:

By Air:
Almeria (80 miles), Granada (50 miles) and Malaga (46 miles) all have airports.
Malaga receives flights from the UK, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Morocco and several Spanish cities.
Almeria receives flights from Belgium, UK, Ireland, Germany, Canary Islands, Madrid, and Barcelona.
Granada receives flights from: London (Ryan Air) and Italy).

AENA the Spanish airport authority has a very comprehensive website www.aena.es (with an English version), listing all Spanish airports and destinations. Granada airport is listed as ‘Federico García Lorca Granada-Jaén’ (after the famed poet and dramatist).

By Bus
Modern comfortable buses travel throughout the region, Spain and the rest Europe. The company ‘Alsina Graells’ www.alsa.es provides the most comprehensive service. Their website (in English) has special offers and deals for over 60s (40% off on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; Malaga to Barcelona 78 euros on a luxury ‘liner’). You can even take your push bike or pet onboard.

By Train
RENFE the Spanish rail company has a station in Malaga. www.renfe.es
There are high-speed and low speed options. For example a 12 hour day time trip from Barcelona to Malaga is 80 euros whilst a day time trip on the futuristic AVE cuts the travel time down to 6 hours and costs from 133 to 240 euros.

By Car
Almuñécar lies just of the E15, Spain’s National freeway that hugs the Spanish coast from the Spanish/French border near Gerona all the way around the Mediterranean to Gibraltar (sometimes changing names then reappearing as the E15). Car rental companies abound particularly at the airports.

Where to stay:

This is the peak season in Alumecar so be aware that many hotels etc will be booked up. But the 'crisis' has hit Spanish tourism too so there may be some deals still available.

For a comprehensive listing of accommodation of all types go to Almunecar.com

For longer term rentals visit.
www.Discovercostatropical.com

Almunecar's tourist office information:
Oficina de Turismo del Ayuntamiento de Almuñécar
Palacete de La Najarra. Avd. Europa s\n
18690 Almuñécar, Granada (España)
Tel.- 958 63 11 25
Fax.- 958 63 50 07
ofitur@almunecar.info

For more information about Families Living Abroad, Living in France, Living in Spain, Living in Costa Rica, Living in Panama and Living in the UK please email lucy@culpepperink.com or visit www.culpepperink.com